The Days Go By
by Teefa and Co
Summary: After the final battle, Prier watches her life change ever so slightly until the final Miracle comes into play.
1. Recovery

**Recovery**

Prier yelled, "Croix!" She then began furiously hitting the darkness with her baton; his gun firing just as she'd finished her assault. With a shriek, the being began to disintegrate. Weakened by the very fact that she no longer had a host, and the fact that she had the nerve to mess with Prier, she was no match for the duo. As she began to vanish into white hot light, Croix held Prier back in his embrace.

"Thank you Prier," he whispered, "If it wasn't for you, I'd still be lost in that darkness. You should get back to everyone else now; then we can go home together." With that, he pulled her closer to him and kissed her. Prier was so surprised, and really enjoyed the sensation, that she didn't bother to slug Croix for his preemptive strike. Instead, she savored that moment until she found herself being recalled to the real world. He was right; she did need to get back there so everyone could get on with their lives.

S...S

As Prier found herself slipping back into reality, the first sight that met her eyes was that of her younger brother; Culotte. He was kneeling next to Sister Alouette's lifeless body; his hand in hers and his tears falling upon her robe. She felt herself looking down to the ground; wanting to banish the sight of her dead friend and grieving brother from her eyes. But it was the truth and they would all have to accept it. No matter which of the many paths Alouette took to defeat the Dark Prince, it would end up with her dead.

'She knew what her destiny was the second she took up the title of Maiden of Light. But she also knew that her sacrifice would save many other lives. Thinking back on it, did she know it would come to this all along? Alouette did seem to know how I felt about Croix even before the two of us,' Prier thought.

The silence was broken when Croix let out a small moan. Prier ran over to the machine to let him down; where he promptly collapsed into her arms. Noticing that the entire room seemed to be staring at her, Prier's face acquired a reddish tint. However, that was short lived and followed up with a threat of the fist if anyone so much as breathed a word about this little stunt outside of their inner circle; Homard included once they picked him up from the battlefield. Then she helped Croix to stand on his own feet.

He admitted, "They feel like rubber. I think Noir had those shackles on way too tight; it's like the blood flow to my feet has just started to circulate again. Don't worry; a little walking should get me back in full swing." However, Prier moved to place his left arm around her shoulders so he could support himself on her. Culotte noticed this strange motion from his sister; is that what happens when a person is in love?

Father Salade turned towards the teleporter. "Well, it's time for us all to go. Prier, you can help Croix down; I'm sure he wouldn't let anybody else do so. I'll carry Sister Alouette; Culotte and Éclair are too small to handle the job and so are the remaining members of Homard's crew. When we return to the church, there will be a proper funeral for her. And also, a victory celebration for the rest of our team."

S...S

The way down was not as hard as the way up. For one, they better knew the way; no more choosing the right teleporter in that one room. For two, with the death of Noir, all of the monsters were gone. So nobody had to worry about being picked off. Prier heaved a sigh of relief; she was dead tired.

However, once they returned to the bottom level, a terrible site met their eyes. The floor was splashed with blood; the green/black blood of a Demon and the crimson blood of a human. And off to the side, in a pool of his own blood, lay Homard. His wounds were great; Éclair felt fear rising up in her heart.

"Homard!" she screamed as she ran to him, "Please don't die! You promised us." The young princess took his body in her arms; not caring as the red stains appeared on her good clothes. Feeling his pulse, she breathed a small sigh of relief. He was still alive; however he would die without treatment. She was no mage; the only healing she had ever tried was a small spell that was used in emergencies.

"Captain! I told you that you were the only one who could pilot the Escargot. The Chocolat Gang and I need you. Don't fail us now," Yattanya begged. He and Papillon rushed over to Éclair's side to be nearer to their fallen leader; the two Chocolat Gang warriors and Monya-Monya were right behind them. He looked at Homard's feeble breathing, his bloody body, and began to fear the worst would come.

Culotte, noticing the scene before him, stepped forward. He stated, "Éclair, I can help you heal him. The best thing is to get him to the Escargot where he can rest, however I can spell him long enough to last the journey. In the name of the Goddess…" With that, he cast the Blessing Miracle on Homard.

The wounds instantly began to close and a smile lit on the princess's lips. She followed Prier's lead and placed Homard's left arm around her shoulder. Culotte rushed over to help support his right side; unlike Croix, he was helpless while unconscious. The boy wanted to do something for somebody; he wasn't strong enough to protect Sister Alouette nor big enough to carry her body. But if Éclair and Homard were assisted, then he felt better about himself. And so they set off towards the bottom again.

S...S

When Homard awoke, the first thing he saw was Éclair's relieved face. It was only after then that he noticed where he was; the cabin of his own ship. Off to one side, he spied Croix on another bed; reading some of the chapters on repentance in the Holy Book that Alouette had been carrying. Prier was at his side; half reading along and half simply being there to support him. The pirate had to laugh when he saw her since she wasn't being her usual self. Then again, she did act strangely when around Croix.

However, when he looked to the other side of the room, he saw Alouette's body lying on yet another of the beds; the pallor of death on her skin. Culotte was sitting by her bedside in grief. Homard, like everyone else in the group, had noticed the way the boy acted around the Maiden of Light; he had been in love with her despite his young age. They all knew how mature he truly was; even moreso than his sister in many instances. It wasn't surprising that he would understand his emotions as well then.

But the only thing that concerned the Captain of the Escargot now was Éclair. He gave the young girl a winsome smile. "I'm sorry to have worried you all. He was tougher than I thought but nothing I couldn't handle. Thanks to you, I feel a lot better. So I guess I'll just return to the bridge and guide us home again." And he would have gotten up to leave as well; had Éclair not held him down on the bed.

"No matter what you say, I can tell you're lying so I don't worry," she chided, "You need your rest now; Yattanya is taking care of everything until you recover. If you don't wish to get your rest, then I think my Dark side will have a little say in it." Culotte, listening from the other side of the room, was surprised to hear Éclair of all people talk like that; she sounded almost like Prier. But she was really concerned.

"Ok dear, you win," Homard joked back. Éclair's face lit up like a fire spell; she was really taken by the dashing Air Pirate. But then her heart fell. Although she loved Homard, they belonged in two totally different worlds. In the end, her mother would make her marry a prince and they would be forced to part. Times like this she hated being a princess. And she doubted Dark Éclair could help this situation.

The girl whispered, "If only it could be so…" Then, she turned away so he might not see her tears. But that only made the situation worse. For in looking the other way she had her choice of the grieving Culotte or Big Sister and her honest love for Croix. As Prier would say, life really sucks some times.

Homard looked towards Éclair; her tear streaked face too much for him to bear. Being the Ladies Man Heart Breaking Air Pirate that he was, he never wanted his secret to be let out. However, this was different now. This was the girl he had grown to love; her strong will and free spirit reminded him so much of his own. "Éclair, you don't have to worry so much. I never told anybody this, but I am in fact a prince from a country far away. That Demon Lord that I faced…he was sealed beneath our castle. Ten years ago, I became curious and accidentally let him out. My father was struck with illness while fighting him, my mother overcome by the despair of his pain, and I was scarred when he first left his prison. But I swore that I would avenge everything that has happened to them. I would make up for my mistake and destroy that Demon. So I stole the Airship that was under development by our scientists and ran away from home. I changed my name and began to search for my nemesis; recruiting Papillon, Yattanya and the Chocolat Gang along the way. If you want to follow your heart…you should let nobody stand in your way. Speaking up may be hard, but I know that your mother will understand if you tell her how you feel."

"Homard!" she called, "I don't care whether you're a prince or a pirate; I just care that you're you. And you've proven me wrong again. I should learn to have more courage to speak my true feelings. If Big Sister didn't have the courage, then we would all be dead about now. Our hearts are our treasures."

With that, she gently hugged him; not wanting to disturb his injuries any further. It was then that he actually noticed the blood staining her dress; boy were they going to have to work to get that out again. But to know that she didn't seem to notice or mind the stains told him how concerned she really was.

S...S

Upon their return to Pot au Feu city, they immediately returned to what was left of the Church of the Holy Maiden. Luckily, enough repairs had been made that they could rest the weary and wounded in the Infirmary. And Sister Cherrie was relieved to see them as well; their return to the church meant that victory had been attained. However, her joy quickly vanished when she realized Alouette was dead.

"I guess the Maiden of Light used her last power to destroy the Dark Prince," she whispered.

Father Salade explained, "Yes and no. Prier went into the heart of the Dark Prince and together she and his human soul expelled the darkness. The Goddess herself wishes even the worst of sinners to repent from their ways; Alouette knew that well and also knew that no matter what her life would be over."

Cherrie smiled. "It's nice to know her death was not wasted. I know that if she had killed him with her remaining power, Sister Prier would have ended up in that dreadful condition once again. So it was most likely the best option. Besides, we should get over hatreds and work together to rebuild our lives."

"So true Sister Cherrie," Father Salade replied, "Listen…I need you to get Sister Romaine in here right away. There is something important that I need to speak with her about; it concerns the state of our Church. And tell Sister Olive that the next thing we should be repairing is the study; especially the radio."

S...S

It wasn't long before Sister Romaine arrived. Like Sister Olive, she had green hair; though hers was much darker and she wore it down long. Her eyes were bright blue and she had on a habit. She was Father Salade's second in La Pucelle; a brave woman warrior who had slayed many a Demon.

"Thank you for coming. This battle was the one I had waited for since the day I first saw the Maiden of Light and the Dark Prince fight it out on that mountain. With it behind me, I can at last retire from being a Demon Hunter and live peacefully with my wife. I want you to take my place," he stated.

Everyone was shocked; they never expected this from their strong leader. However, he was firm in his decision. At 55, he was getting a little to old for this sort of thing. Besides, he rarely if ever got to spend some time with his wife and he worried her. Sister Romaine looked towards the man she had been second in command to for the past ten years. "I accept your offer Father; I'll make sure the Church is up and running to serve the people as soon as possible. You just relax; your heart can't take worry."

"My heart is just fine," he muttered, "Just because I'm retiring doesn't mean I'm going to die now!"

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

This story spans three chapters. First is now, right after the game. Second is as the gang gets back on their feet. And third is a few months later. Basically, it's setting up for another story I plan to write; one that's longer and more exciting. Cherrie isthe name that my buddies and I have for the Sister who runs the Infirmary. Mainly because it's spelled almost like Cherry and her hairlooks bright red.


	2. Recreation

**Recreation**

It didn't take long for things to begin coming together. Father Salade made his last act as the leader of the Church of the Holy Maiden to be leading Sister Alouette's funeral. He had been with her from the very start of her gamble and decided to finish it as well; after all, it was after witnessing her battle that he returned home and began training to become a Demon Hunter. Homard had recovered well enough to attend as well; though Éclair made doubly sure he took it slowly. Croix's wounds hadn't been that severe so he was back on his feet and fully healthy with only a single day's rest at the Infirmary.

"In the name of the Maiden of Light," Father Salade recited, "Oh Goddess Poitreene, please help the soul of your servant, Alouette, as she seeks rest from her life. Take her into your holy power and reward the hard work and dedication to your cause. And watch over those of us who are left behind to mourn her passing." Everyone bowed their heads to make a silent prayer for their fallen comrade.

'I understand why you had to do this Sister Alouette. You would have died no matter what choice you made. But why did it have to end up like this? Why couldn't you have had just enough power to send Prier into Croix's heart and come out of it alive? If we hadn't been forced to climb that tower, would you still be with us? There's so many questions and I don't know how to answer them,' Culotte wondered.

Prier thought, 'Alouette, you taught me so many things. And in the end, you helped me to do the one thing I couldn't do on my own. I may be a strong fighter and accomplished Demon Hunter, but I am seriously lacking in my ability to perform powerful Miracles. Thank you again for helping me to save Croix; I don't know how I could have gotten through if we were forced to kill him. I may have won, but I don't know if I could have taken it afterwards. But thanks to you, I don't have to find out what might have been.'

Croix took one look at Prier; noticing that even she was praying. 'I guess she wants to thank you for all you've done for us. What Prier told me was true; I won't feel any better about myself if I die. But if I can make up for the sins I have committed, then I won't spend an eternity feeling grief. You inspired her to be the best that she could; to use her utmost power to protect me from myself. I thought that I would never love again when Angelique passed away. However, I know now that I can be happy with Prier. I won't burden her with my sins though; I will take up that mantle alone so she doesn't have to suffer too.'

S...S

"So Prier," Croix said when the funeral service was over, "I heard that Father Salade and Sister Romaine have organized this big festival tomorrow to commemorate the victory. Well, I was wondering if you would like to go with me to the events. You know, spend some time together, kind of like a date."

"Sounds like fun! Croix, you've got yourself a date. This will be good for us; take our minds off of the troubles in our lives. You deserve to have some fun for a change; especially since you've insisted on finding a way to redeem yourself. That sounds like it will be an extremely daunting task," Prier replied.

Croix told her, "And one I will be completing on my own. I've been thinking a lot since the final battle. If I stay here, there won't be that many opportunities to help people. Lets face it, Noir was the reason for all of the trouble in the first place and he's gone now. But I don't want you to suffer for my sake. Prier…I'll be leaving the day after the festival. Don't worry; I'll come back to you when it's over."

Prier looked at him; sensed the concern in his face. He didn't want her to feel pain because of the things he'd done. "You and Homard always say that there are things men just have to do. Well, I've learned to understand that when you say something like that, you have your reasons. I'll just have to trust you on this one Croix; you won't desert me, you'll be back when you finish. I'll stay here to take care of Culotte; he's still upset over losing Alouette and if I leave I don't know what my brother will go through."

"It'll all be ok Prier," Croix answered, "We're strong enough to hold on until my soul can find peace. When I leave, I'll write you. Pity that you won't be able to reply; I don't know where I'll be at any time. But if there's an emergency, then use the information from my last letter to find a way to see me."

"Promise. Now let's just relax for now. Tomorrow is going to be a fun day!" exclaimed Prier.

S...S

Fireworks were exploding in the sky above a field near town. Everyone in the city was preparing to celebrate the victory of La Pucelle. Publicly, they were all told that the recent Demon infestation had been dealt with; nobody mentioned anything about the Dark Prince. But that didn't mean that they were any less grateful for their saviors. And nobody was more excited about this day than Prier and Croix.

They had gone through the stands to play every single game that had been set up. Currently, Croix had taken on the task of conquering one that involved shooting targets with live ammo. He hit about twenty of them in rapid succession, and won a large stuffed bear. Then, the Demon Hunter gave it to Prier; whom immediately named it Bear Socks after one of the strongest monsters she had Purified.

They were just buying cotton candy at one of the stands when an excited Éclair ran up to the duo; Homard walking behind due to the strict orders not to aggravate his wounds and because he was carrying a few prizes that he'd won for her. The young princess exclaimed, "Guess what you guys! It's big news."

Prier took a bite out of her cotton candy; making sure to lick away whatever might have gotten stuck to her lips. She saw Croix was doing the same, only he was taking abnormally large bites; Prier had seen him and Homard both doing that in the past and was sure that had to be another guy thing that she would never understand. "So what's up Éclair? You seem quite cheerful; festival wound you up?"

"I spoke to my mother," Éclair told her, "I said how much I cared for Homard and he cared for me. And you know what? She actually gave us her blessing. I'm not quite ready for marriage yet, my training and Homard having to clean up some issues back home would stress us out, but we've agreed to do so when I turn 18. Look, I've even got a ring!" She showed her left hand to Prier. There, on the ring finger was a golden ring with jagged diagonal edges as if a bold of lightning had twisted around Éclair's finger.

"Congratulations Éclair! I'm happy for you two," Prier stated. Croix was making a mental note of the engagement ring Homard had hastily went out to buy. Éclair's name meant flash; which showed in her heavily lightning oriented battle style. Well, Prier's name meant prayer and his meant cross. Could he find some sort of ring for her when the time came that symbolized them? Well, one never knows.

Éclair said, "Well, I've got to go find Culotte and tell him too. Hope you and Croix have a nice date." She gave her Big Sister a hug and skipped off; looking the happiest Prier had seen her in a long while. Homard followed as quickly as he could without going over the strict limitations placed on him.

Prier smiled. 'I hope those two are happy together. They've cared about one another so much for so long. I can't help but feel a little jealous though. Even with the things that could come up, they still can spend a lot of time together and separations would be short since Homard has the Escargot. But Croix and I don't have that luxury; once he leaves I have to simply wait and believe. However, I know it will be worse for him if I stop him. I know that he won't ignore his promise; he'll return to me someday.'

S...S

Finally, after playing more games than they'd planned on and eating more food than their stomachs could handle, Croix took Prier back to her room. He held her hand in his; wanting to feel that closeness for one last time before leaving on the journey. But this memory of the time spent with her and the date he'd taken her on would be his beacon in the darkness. No matter how tough the journey might become, or how strong the enemy, as long as he thought of this he would remember that he had a home and loved one to return to. That would help to ignite his confidence; assuring him victory no matter what.

"Thanks Croix," Prier said as they entered the room, "I had a great time today. And I'll remember this and keep my confidence up until you return. I…I believe in you; you're going to be just fine. And when you return, then we can have a great party." She smiled at him; happy for this one moment in time.

"You're right Prier. I'm not afraid of this quest. I mean, how long could it take? Four years? Five years at the most? You'll be an adult then. I'm in agreement with Éclair; you really shouldn't get married this young. I want you to enjoy your youth Prier; enjoy it as I never could," he whispered in her ear.

However, each could see through the other's front. Deep down, they worried what would happen if Croix was in an accident. Would they really ever see one another again? But since they were both afraid of worrying the other, neither could speak their mind. Instead, they felt their bodies reacting.

Moving on auto-pilot, Croix bend his face downwards towards Prier's; her response being to move along to him. His arms encircled her the second their lips met; their tender embrace comforting the innermost fears in each soul. However…let's just say that Prier and Croix let themselves get too carried away. Longing for peace in their troubled souls, they didn't stop to think about where they were going to.

S...S

After Croix had left the next day, Prier put on a happy front and raced Culotte through the fields near Paprica's coast. However, upon her return, she began feeling a little bit guilty. Though neither she nor Croix had brought up how they'd spent the previous night, neither had spoken aboutwhatto tellthe others either. To Prier, it was a private matter and to Croix there was no need to tell the entire world about it.

She asked herself, 'Should I or shouldn't I tell someone how I'm feeling? I mean, I'm only 16; and I haven't yet gotten married. We shouldn't have let the moment take us further than we wanted to go. But it felt so right when I was with Croix. A moment that I'm going to remember with pleasure throughout the time I must wait. Perhaps that's what our bodies were telling us all along. I should worry so much. Croix and I just have to shut up and nobody will ever know. Heck, Culotte will probably just start yelling at me for being so reckless. Then I'll slug him and we'll end up having to explain the reason for that tiff to everyone else. And I don't think I need everyone I ever met knowing that I ended up in bed with Croix.'

She sighed; life could be complicated sometimes. But now she had to simply pick her chin up and move on with her life. After all, there are more Demons to deal with in the world; Noir's death was not the end of them, but only of the extra large flow. People needed her to be strong and help protect the peace in Paprica. Heck, they all had begun calling her "Prier Dark Slayer" because of her battle abilities.

The story one heard was all based on their position. Those who had already found out the truth about Croix due to circumstance were told the full tale about how Prier had purified his heart of darkness. The others in the church were told that yes the Dark Prince had come back to life, having already been warned to watch out due to the fact that he might attack them at any time, but that Maiden of Light Alouette had used her last Miracle to empower Prier; since she had no strength to both attack and use the necessary power to land a finishing blow. Everyone else was informed that Prier had killed a huge Demon Lord whom had been masterminding the entire scenario; technically, that was true since she had landed the last attack on Noir and also had performed Purification rites over his dying body in the end.

Prier looked out the window and smiled. 'If the people all believe me to be their heroine, Maiden of Light or not, I have a duty to fight for them. I'm not going to abandon those who need my help; that was what I always wanted when I said I'd be the next Maiden of Light. Now, I must write my own legend. And then, when Croix finally comes home, I'll have built a safe place for us to raise a family together.'

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

Considering all of the people who sent well wishes at Prier by the end, I'd say she probably got some popularity after the game was over. Heck, they had to say something about the uprising of Demons. And you'd know some people had probably heard "Dark Prince" mentioned once or twice.


	3. Revelation

**Revelation**

Three long months passed since the final battle. Prier had gotten back into the swing of things; slaying a Zombie here, a bunch of wayward bats there, ect. But without Alouette, things just didn't seem the same. Their little band which had always consisted of three since Prier and Culotte had joined up, was now down to two. So when Sister Romaine asked them to take on a new trainee, they were excited.

That was how Prier and Culotte ended up lounging around the re-built office one morning in late fall; their new trainee happened to be late getting back from her trip to Mayonnaise Harbor to check on the rebuilding efforts. Sister Romaine was at her desk; reading reports from the scouts in the field. At around noon, the door finally opened to reveal a young woman of about 18 years of age. She had long blue hair and sea green eyes. The skirt she wore was worn long in the back and short, though not slutty short, in the front while her short sleeved shirt was white. A pair of black shoes were worn on her feet.

"This is Sister Francois," Sister Romaine introduced, "She has been with our charity unit for about a year now, but took the test to be in La Pucelle when a few friends of hers were killed in the massacre at Mayonnaise Harbor. Sister Francois, these are your superiors; Culotte and Sister Prier. I hope you all can get along well. Because I've got a little practice mission for the three of you to go on in an old castle."

"I've heard so much about you from the others, Prier. You're supposed to have slain the Dark Prince when Maiden of Light Alouette found that she hadn't the power remaining to both perform the Miracle and follow up attack. She chose you because you had a strong will and caring heart. Did you really kill the scourge that has haunted our people for many years now?" inquired the excited Sister.

Prier looked her in the eye. She didn't want to lie, but then again technically she wouldn't be. Technically, she and Croix had slain the Dark Prince together. So she told Francois, "Yup, I sure did. But if it hadn't been for the fact that I had my friends with me, I wouldn't have succeeded. Anyway, Sister Romaine, what type of mission will we be going on? Are there Demons infesting an abandoned palace?"

Realizing the conversation had been easily swayed from the potentially embarrassing subject of Prier's love life, Sister Romaine cleared her throat. "There's an old castle to the north of Montblanc Castle; I think it might have been a fort for his soldiers. Ghosts have begun appearing inside it and have been attacking travelers. The Infirmary is filled to the brim with people wounded by their fire. I know it's less exciting a mission than defeating the Demons that attacked Paprica, but you do have a beginner with you. Remember how it was like when you started out Prier? I know you weren't thrilled about Zombies."

"I don't mind," Prier replied, "After all, right now I'll be glad for anything to come around." She blushed at the very fact that even her earliest exploits were being debated on. But this would be good for her; anything to get her mind off of missing Croix. Besides, it should be a piece of cake for one like her.

S...S

Prier couldn't have been more right. The ghosts were all at low levels and seemed to walk right into their attack setups. Some were too stupid to use their magic and instead got killed by a Counter before striking even once. Though Francois needed a little help with some of the enemies; Prier had to remind herself twice that she was dealing with a new member to La Pucelle. And the girl was friendly at least. Her only vice seemed to be that she talked incisively about every single guy she had ever met.

'Not the worst thing she could have; she could be so blissfully ignorant that she paid no attention to the enemies. Besides, if I could live with Alouette's constant nagging, then I can live through her obsession with the male gender. One day I might even tell her about my own love life,' Prier thought.

Suddenly, she began to feel dizzy. Holding her head in her hand, the young woman looked down towards the ground. What was in the air around here? But since Culotte and Francois, both not as strong as her, looked healthy she quickly dismissed that theory. However, Culotte noticed her weird behavior and asked, "Prier, what's wrong? Do you need to see Sister Cherrie when we get back home?"

Prier laughed a little. "Nope, everything is just dandy. I'm in tip top shape. Just…I think I might be hungry; my stomach feels like it's turning cartwheels inside of me. Let's go back to the church and get a nice bowl of soup for lunch." She hoped her ploy would work; Culotte was starting to become a tad overprotective of her following Alouette's death. Did he think she was going to leave him all alone too?

Unfortunately for Prier, her little ruse did nothing. Instead, her brother walked up to her and put her right arm over his shoulder. When she struggled, Sister Francois slapped her with her Power Glove; causing Prier to reel in pain. They were obviously not going to take No for an answer. She sighed and reluctantly agreed to go with them to the Infirmary. Heck, all that she would be told was that she needed to get something to eat. That's all it was; there was no way that Prier would ever find herself getting sick.

S...S

"Tests show all is normal," Sister Cherrie informed Prier, "You don't appear to have a fever and you aren't in pain due to an injury. Just…there is one thing that might be going on. But it's a tad personal so I'm going to have to ask you a few questions. First of all, knowing that you spent the entirety of the festival with Croix, are you still a virgin? Second of all, when was the last time you had your period?" These little questions were met with a punch in the face and Prier turning as red as the Sister's hair.

"None of your business! What does that have to do with my symptoms?" she yelled at her. But when Sister Cherrie gave her the eye as if to say "answer me and you'll see," she recanted. Prier told her, "Yes Croix and I did get a little out of hand that night; we weren't planning on it, things just happened as we were saying goodnight. And come to think of it…I haven't had my period since before the final battle."

Cherrie stated, "Well, you told me earlier that this hasn't been the first time you felt like this; just the first time it happened when you were in the company of your brother. I have to run a few tests first, but I think you might be pregnant. Don't worry Prier; I know you and Croix were worried about each other. I know you two wouldn't have written these sort of things in a day planner. Love takes you where it wills."

S...S

When Prier finally left the Infirmary, her heart felt as if it would drop right to the floor. Pregnant; of all things that could have happened to her. Sister Romaine had to be called in and the three women had to have a long discussion. Prier was put on sick leave for the next year and a half; though she would still be training Francois in the field. As if things couldn't get any worse, Culotte had to come and give her a lecture about what were she and Croix thinking. Of course, her response wasn't the most polite one she could have given; this is Prier after all. "Do you think I wrote in big bold letters on my calendar 'Croix and I explore our intimate desires?' No! It just happened and now I'm going to have a child. Let me be!"

"I'll never understand my sister," Culotte muttered as he walked away, "She's Miss Independent Woman one day, sleeping with her boyfriend the next, then back to being Miss Independent Woman as if nothing ever happened. Maybe I should talk to Éclair and Homard; they're much more sane than Prier."

S...S

The next six months were perhaps the worst of Prier's life. She was gaining weight at a horrid rate and less able to fend for herself. Culotte and Francois helped out a lot; though that didn't change the fact that Prier's pride was being severely compromised. The woman had decided not to call Croix on three important grounds. First, if he came back to care for the child, he would be restless and that might put some strain on their household. Second, if he came back to check on her but continued his journey, he would be feeling guilty and worried over Prier. Third, he'd probably break his neck trying to get home as fast as he could. It was better for all three of them if Prier took care of the new baby on her own.

Finally, it was time for the child to be born. Since there was no father to help out with the birthing, Culotte, as the uncle, had foolishly stepped in. I said "foolishly" because Prier had thrown every single bit of verbal and physical abuse that she had energy for his way. In fact, when it was over, he had to get treated for some nasty bruises courtesy of Prier's fist. But it was worth it when he saw his newborn niece.

"Would you call the others in Sister Cherrie? I want them all to be here now that the baby has been born," Prier stated. Cherrie opened the door to reveal Francois, Father Salade, the Director of the Orphanage, Éclair, Homard, and the entire crew of the Escargot. They crowded around Prier's bedside.

Éclair commented, "She's so pretty Prier. I think she has a bit of you around the face. Though her ears look more like Croix's. I'll bet anything that this child is going to grow up to become a strong Demon Hunter just like her parents. What are you going to call her anyway?" The princess beamed at her new godchild; she and Homard had been asked to be the godparents because of their closeness to Prier and the fact that Culotte was already her uncle by blood. Prier was lucky to become a mother.

Prier smiled as her daughter opened her brown eyes; the same color as both her mother and uncle. "I thought a lot about what Croix would have wanted; he isn't here to name our daughter so it was hard to take him into consideration, no easy task there. In the end, I decided to name her Angelique."

"I see that you've taken to romance novels while Croix has been gone," Homard commented, "Ah, when the handsome knight passes away in combat and his beloved princess is heavy with child. And she names her only son for the father he'll never know." However…Homard's dramatic moment didn't last too long. For no sooner had those words left his mouth, an extremely red faced Prier slugged him in the gut.

"For one, that is none of your business! For two, I was thinking about what Croix would have wanted! And for three…I am not upset over him leaving on his mission! He's doing what he needs to do and then he'll be back! So would you all just get off my case!" she demanded. Somehow, she managed to sound extremely forceful and ticked off without raising her voice too high; after all, she was still holding the baby. Francois thought this Croix must have been some guy for Prier to be this hung up over him.

At that moment, Culotte returned from his treatmentÉclair exclaimed, "Oh Goddess! What in the world happened to you Culotte!" He might have been patched up and ointments applied to his wounds, but he still looked as if he'd gotten into a fight with a wild bear; or Bear Socks had chased him for a bit of Mooboo steak that he was cooking. The boy sat down on the stool; holding his head to ease the pain.

Prier sweatdropped. "Sorry Culotte; I guess I got a little carried away with my emotions there."

"I see," Éclair stated, "He helped you to birth the baby and you were stressed out. I might not have gone through this myself, but I do know from the books I've been reading lately that even a mild mannered woman gets easily upset when she's having a baby; there's a lot of physical stress involved."

"That's a real comforting thought Éclair. When we have a child of our own…I think you, me and Dark Éclair are going to have to have a long talk about the delivery; she does have a tiny temper there," Homard said. Éclair nodded; though she had to tell her dark side that beating up Homard for getting her pregnant would not be fun at all…one look at Culotte was enough to quell even the tough Dark Knight.

Prier cradled her young daughter against her body. She thought, 'Croix, you don't have to worry about a thing. I'll take care of Angelique until you return. Though this may sound strange but I'm happy that I got pregnant. This child will be the cure for my loneliness; she and I can lean on one another for support and I know she'll never desert me. When you return, then we can all be a family once more.'

* * *

**Teefa's Last Words...**

This may be the end of the fanfic, but not the story. There will be a sequel to this one that takes place when Angelique is three years old. It starts around her birthday and will then jump three months to the four year anniversary of the end of La Pucelle's storyline. Yeah, we pictured Homard as the one with a sensitive side; he did come off as a bit of the romantic under his somewhat perverted joking exterior. RPG pirates tend to either be that way or really ruthless brigands; that's usually the evil pirates though. And since Homard isn't extremely ruthless, we assumed the former.


End file.
